The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1887-02-04
Nm ~l1hell1QeuGeE
wuEELING, Is. VA, FEBRUARY 4, 1887.


Slnatof Hoar iS not cIsssed among the
humoripls OF Congress, hus'onCe In a while
Ia gets In q coed thrust. When Mr.. Hoar,
OF tho Uovsreiyn State Of Massachusetts,
asked Mr.. Coke, OF the equally sovereign
State Of Texan, to furnish the Constitu.
tional law authorizing Congress- to give
$4,000 worth OF seeds 10 the people Of the
droutll. stricken districts Of Texas, Mr..
IIoar wss feylying momories and asking
the Tcxau Senator to admit that his party
has practically abandoned the old strict
constructionist view Of the Constitution,
which bound Uncle Sam like another
promsthcus.
As the Constitution used to be con.
strued by Mr.. Coke's party, and Is still, in
theory, the whole State OF Texas might be
starving, aud tho Treasury Of the United
States might bs overlooking, but it would
not be lawful 10 touch one dollar OF the
National funds for the succor Of the Texas
sufferers. This, Of course, Is what Mr..
Hoar vas driving OF when he good natur'
eddy prodded the Texas strict construc.
ZIONIST.
Demo cratic leaders, particularly those
oil tho South, still insist on the strict con.
s.ruc!ipn-unsit It comes 10 the practical
point where it strikes home. Then they
MAKE q special plea for the most liberal
construction, and the amiling Republi'
cans vote to give 1t to them. In the light
oil tho attitude Of tho Democracy toward
tho blind side OF tho Constitution, it IL
interesting to recall as history that The
most liberal construction has been placed
on the Constitution by Southern Demo
crata in search Of something for their aec'
ton.
There was the National Board Of Health.
aaked Tor by the South, and created FOL
it, special benefit. There WAS the aid
promptly furnished 10 tho Missisaippi
fool sulfsrsvs without go much as al
appropriation, help sent by the National
Government into q sovereign State with.
out special authority and when, under a
st:ict old.iashioned construction, it was
the constitutional right Of the United
Safes to let the Mississippi flood sufferers
irish for lack Of food and shelter.
So again with u own Ohio Valley
flood suffsreys-!here was no comfort for
them in the old th;nly strained notion
that the founders had set up . Govern.
mcnt whose chief element Of strength was
that it might stand il it could, but it Vas
not to be allowed to bs sustained by any
effort OF IT'D own. Its powers were all to
be negative. tie acts pasniye-if such things
can no imagined.
Hsppily, VIC hear mono OF this now
adays except in Democratic platforms
and Democratic speeches, and these
are not meant in earnest. As q
practical fact, everybody admits that
We ere a Nation with Il large N,
having the constitutional right to do
whatsoever things arc necdtul from the
point OF view Of the general welfare.
With regard to tho case Ct Texas, who
is the American that would Ieinse to help
to the extent OF a few thousands Of dol
lars worth Of seeds? II anybody is a little
cool in his enthusiasm on the subject it is
because JIG fears the seeds will be worth
les, after they have been received. II
there could be a constitutional guarantee
on such q point everybody would feel
better.